


Where You Least Expect It

by UisceOneLove



Series: STB Bingo Fills 2021 [5]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Diners, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, College Student Bucky Barnes, Flirting, M/M, Modern Bucky Barnes, Modern Steve Rogers, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Waiter Bucky Barnes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-18 00:55:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29974932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UisceOneLove/pseuds/UisceOneLove
Summary: Bucky thought it was going to be a quiet night in the diner. Then the famous Avenger and genius Tony Stark walks in.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Series: STB Bingo Fills 2021 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2190087
Comments: 4
Kudos: 93





	Where You Least Expect It

**Author's Note:**

> Don't you hate it when you're aiming for a Gen rating and then the boys just start making other plans at the end? That is honestly the only reason this is Unrated. 
> 
> STB Bingo, Square: "Graveyard Shift"  
> Bucky Barnes Bingo, Square C3: "Free Space"

Most people gripe about working the graveyard shift but Bucky wasn't one of them. A twenty-four-hour diner in the middle of Indiana wasn't that busy, so it left Bucky plenty of free time to borrow a booth and study. Photography may be Bucky's major but there were still some general ed requirements that he couldn't escape. 

He was neck-deep in textbooks, highlighter between his teeth while he scribbled down notes in his notebook when someone slid into the booth's seat across from him. Bucky hadn't heard the door open so he'd assumed it was just Steve taking his break and didn't bother looking up.

"I'd ask if you were working hard or hardly working, but I think I have my answer." 

Bucky froze, pen mid-word. That wasn't Steve. 

He slowly raised his head, eyes getting as big as saucers with a gasp. "You're--"

"Yeah, kid, I know," smirked a tired-looking Tony Stark, arm spread over the back of the booth, "genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, and Iron Man."   


That was the gist of it, yeah. 

Bucky hastily shoved his things together and got out of the booth. "I'm sorry. I didn't hear anyone come in, let me get you a menu."

"Take your time, kid," Tony waved off, "just bring me some coffee while you're at it."

"You got it," Bucky nodded, scurrying off. 

He couldn't believe Tony Stark was in the diner. He wasn't in the Iron Man suit but maybe the Avengers had been in the middle of a fight nearby. Would the others be showing up?

Was he about to get to meet the whole team? 

When Bucky returned to the table, menu and coffee in hand, Tony Stark was fast asleep with his head tilted back, mouth parted as he snored. Bucky shifted awkwardly and quickly set the items on the table. Does he wake him up, or…?

Steve would probably say not to. Bucky wasn't always as nice as Stevie, though. 

"Uh, you all right, there, Mr. Stark?" Bucky asked, touching the man's shoulder. The man pulled away from his touch suddenly and jerked away. Bucky held his hands up defensively in front of him and stepped back. "Whoa!"

Tony Stark blinked rapidly, his hand extended towards Bucky like he was going to shoot a repulsor beam right into his chest.

Bucky was having his extremely short life flash before his eyes. Stevie better give him a good funeral. Mr. Stark's eyes trained on Bucky before he lowered his hand. "Sorry, kid," he grimaced, "guard isn't completely down yet. I also shouldn't have fallen asleep. Mea culpa." 

"Right," Bucky dragged out, letting out a long breath now that he wasn't going to die. "I shouldn't have woken you up. My friend would call me stupid for doing it." 

"No, it's appreciated," Tony Stark said with a roll of his neck. He offered Bucky another smile, his eyes flickering over Bucky's chest, which sent hum blushing because  _ Tony Stark was staring at his chest holy crap. _ "James. I've got a James. I call him my Rhodey though."

"Steve calls me his Bucky," he replied. And he's really said it like that when Steve accidentally had some baked goods of the medicinal variety at their high school class' graduation party.

Mr. Stark arched a brow. "Bucky?"

The younger brunet crossed his arms. "Comes from my middle name. Buchanan." 

The superhero let out a short whistle and nodded, "Got it. Yep, Bucky is much better."

"Can I get you something to eat, Mr. Stark? You need to keep up your energy and get wherever you need to go." 

"First, it's Tony. I'm not my father and I'm not your teacher." Tony added an amount of sugar to his coffee that had Bucky concerned for his insulin levels and took a long sip of it before he continued. "Second, I would absolutely love a good burger, lots of cheese, very little veggies." 

"Are you sure you won't pass out this time while I'm gone?" Bucky snarked, earning himself an impressed look from Tony St-- _ Tony. _

"Leave me the whole pot," the man answered with a pointed finger at Bucky's hand, "and I'll be just fine, Buckaroo." 

Bucky's cheeks heated at the nickname. He let the coffee and tried not to look like he was running away from the billionaire in his booth to the counter. Steve, in his small but mighty glory, poked his head out from the window to the kitchen.

"Is everything okay out there, Bucky?" he asked, wiping his face with a cloth. 

"I need a cheeseburger with light veggies for Tony Stark," Bucky told him, "and no, that's not a joke or euphemism."

"Say what now?" Steve furrowed his brows. He looked past Bucky to the tables and widened his eyes the same way Bucky was sure he had. "That is for real Tony Stark."

"Told ya," Bucky nodded.

"One cheeseburger coming up, then," Steve replied, unable to look away from their customer. 

"Steve."

"He's not being a problem, though, right?" the blond checked. 

Bucky gave him a thumbs up. "Totally fine out here, Stevie."

Steve didn't move right away, his eyes narrowing slightly. "If that changes, Buck, you know to call me," he said before pulling away from the window. 

Bucky rolled his eyes. "I am capable of fighting my own battles, too." He waited nearby while Steve made Tony's order, though, instead of going back to the booth. He didn't know what to even begin saying to a guy like that. Does Tony Stark even like small talk? Bucky doubted it. 

"Order's up, Buck," Steve announced, holding out the plate. Bucky took it, avoiding any other looks or questions Steve might feel like giving and returning to the booth. The coffee pot was miraculously almost empty already and Tony looked wired from the caffeine boost. 

"I was starting to think you ditched me, Buckster," Tony greeted, making grabby hands at the plate. Bucky couldn't look away at how greedily the man bit into the cheeseburger, and then  _ forced _ himself to look away at the moan that was given. 

"Top marks to the cook back there," the man said, taking another large bite and gesturing to the other sat. "Come on, take a load off."

Bucky started to shake his head, "Oh, I couldn't--"

"Uh, yes, you can. And you will. Because there's no other customer here and I will give you quadruple the tip." 

"You know that's not as much as you think it is, right?" Bucky responded, but took a seat.

"No?" Tony pursed his lips thoughtfully, which Bucky didn't know how he could do it so well while chewing such a huge mouthful. The man swallowed and chased it with another swig of the sugar-fied coffee. "Then I guess I'll have to buy all of the leftover dessert options and  _ then _ quadruple your tip."

Bucky gaped at the man. "Please don't. That is entirely not necessary." 

Tony shrugged. "Suit yourself." 

With a famous person eating in front of him and nothing else to do, Bucky hesitantly re-opened one of his textbooks. Tony, of course, then grabbed it to take a look.

"This is all pretty light subject matter," Tony noted, looking over the other books.

Bucky took his book back. "It's all gen-ed." 

"What's your major then?"

"Photography." 

"Leibovitz, Adams, Karsh, Natchwey, Lange?"

Thrown, Bucky replied, "Leaning towards Natchwey or Lange, actually. I like portraits and landscapes as a free time thing, but getting in on the action, capturing what's going on? That's a pretty huge deal."

"The Avengers could always use someone," Tony said, but he looked interested in what Bucky had to say. "You got the stomach for going out there and catching the ugly side of things?"   


"No offense, Mr.--Tony, but I've seen the ugly side of things before. I'm not turning tail." 

Tony's eyes danced over his coffee. "It's either brave or stupid." 

"He's chalked full of stupid!" Steve yelled out from the kitchen. Tony, blinked, surprised, before he started laughing. 

"Is that--?" he started with a grin.

"Steve," Bucky confirmed with a sigh.

"Well, I applaud it," Tony said, "though it's a shame you're not more interested in the portraits. I could use a new one. Show off my new assets." 

"I thought you already do," Bucky said without meaning to, his eyes dipping down as if he could see the rest of Tony through the table. His eyes shot back up in shock, ready to backpedal, when he caught the appreciation in Tony's own brown eyes. 

"How forward of you, James." Tony didn't look like he minded at all. 

That made Bucky feel better about the slip...while feeling like it's a dream since there was no way Tony Stark was into his flirting. "I know how to appreciate the pretty things."

"Sounds like my kind of appreciation," Tony responded. 

Bucky's lips grew into a smirk; the one he was used to people in his class taking notice of when he wanted a good night. "I promise you I'm really good at it." 

His eyes followed the way Tony's tongue ran across his bottom lip. "I bet you are."

"You going back to Malibu or New York tonight, Tony?" Bucky asked. 

"I think I can move things around, stick around for a bit." 

"Good. I got a thirty-minute break in an hour." 

"Then I guess I'll be having a lot more coffee."

"Yeah?" Bucky replied. "You sure your heart can take it?"

Tony pushed his plate away to lean forward on the table. "My heart can take a lot of things, Bucky." 

Oh, Bucky couldn't wait for him to prove it. 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Kudos feed my soul, so please leave me some!


End file.
